Adams: History appears to be on UT's side

Tennessee's 45-19 victory over Georgia might mean more to its fans than its first-year coach.

The fans know the history. Coach Lane Kiffin doesn't.

And as their young coach leads the program into the future, the fans can't forget their past.

UT's history: Like any program, it has had ups and downs. But the downs rarely linger.

Not since 1910-11 have the Vols suffered through back-to-back losing seasons.

Kiffin had nothing to do with last year's 5-7 record. But he will be linked to it if the Vols don't finish 6-6 or better.

The victory over Georgia comes with no guarantees. The Vols haven't clinched a winning season.

But they have taken a huge step toward avoiding a losing one.

A 2-4 start with Alabama, South Carolina and Ole Miss to come would have been a daunting challenge. A 3-3 record seems so much better, particularly since it was achieved against a Georgia team that almost upset nationally ranked LSU a week earlier.

Now, if UT can beat three losing teams - Memphis, Vanderbilt and Kentucky - it's assured of avoiding back-to-back losing seasons.

Such avoidance won't necessarily ignite a celebration. Kiffin wasn't hired to improve on last year's 5-7 record. Nor was he hired to produce winning seasons.

He was hired to win big. And he understands that as well as anyone.

No matter how many games UT loses this season, it has little bearing on whether Kiffin will ultimately succeed or fail. That will be determined more by recruiting and player development over the next few years.

Nonetheless, there are significant advantages in finishing at least 6-6 compared to 5-7. Most importantly, it provides tangible evidence of improvement.

UT fans have been heartened by the energy and enthusiasm provided by Kiffin and his coaching staff. Its hopes also have been bolstered by the staff's top-10 recruiting.

But in the midst of an SEC football season, recruiting can't make up for losing - no matter how respectable the loss might be.

A 10-point loss in The Swamp to No. 1-ranked Florida only takes you so far. As encouraging as it might have been at the time, it lost some of its impact after a loss to Auburn left the Vols 0-2 in the SEC with three more difficult games to come this month.

A third consecutive SEC loss would have had the Vols freefalling toward another losing season.

After a one-sided victory over Georgia, the previous losses - UCLA included - can be portrayed differently. The three losses were by a total of 18 points, compared to three victories by an average of 31 points.

UT is no longer the team that can't win in the SEC. It's just the team that can't win the close ones.

Imagine what a loss to Georgia would have done for a team with an open date ahead and second-ranked Alabama after that. Instead, the Vols have pulled themselves up to .500 and have two weeks to prepare for a team that looks every bit as formidable as Florida.

The Vols might not be good enough to upset Alabama, anymore than they were capable of knocking off the Gators. But they proved against Florida and Georgia that they're good enough not to be embarrassed by the Tide.

They also proved they're good enough to avoid back-to-back losing seasons.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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